XN000022-1996-11-20 — Page 50

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(b)

the provision of acute beds in each of the following hospitals upon becoming fully operational:

(

Prince of Wales Hospital;

(ii)

Tai Po Nethersole Hospital;

Reply:

(iii) North District Hospital;

(iv) Tseung Kwan O Hospital?

The current provision of acute beds in public hospitals on Hong Kong Island is 4,239 as at 31 March 1996. The information requested for each of the four individual hospitals is as follows -

Hospital

Prince of Wales Hospital Tai Po Nethersole Hospital North District Hospital Tseung Kwan O Hospital

No of Acute Beds

1.294

642

618

458

End

"Permanent vegetative state" in newborn babies rare

Following is a question by the Hon Leung Yiu-chung and a written reply by the Secretary for Health and Welfare, Mrs Katherine Fok, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Question:

Regarding the occurrence of cases in public hospitals involving babies lapsing into a 'vegetative' state because of deficiency of oxygen in the brain during birth, does the Government know:

(a)

of the number of such cases which have occurred in public hospitals in the past three years and their causes; and whether these causes are related to the staffing establishment for obstetric services in public hospitals or the fact that a woman in labour is allowed to choose between natural delivery and delivery by caesarean section;

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